


The Pink Skirt

by writergrump



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Egobang - Freeform, First Confession, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Party, pining!Dan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-12 08:56:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12955767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writergrump/pseuds/writergrump
Summary: Okay, so maybe Arin wore a skirt to a party. And, okay, maybe he looks really good in it. That’s fine. Dan has everything under control. ...Right?





	The Pink Skirt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MusicalRaven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalRaven/gifts).



Dan knew he was in trouble the moment he stepped into the party venue.

YouTube was throwing a rather elaborate party for content creators in the LA area, and the entire Grump crew had been invited. Dan had squirmed about attending at first, as loud groups of people could drain him rather quickly, but in the end Ross’s wheedling got to him and he gave in.

Now, he wasn’t even that concerned about the party or the people milling about, but the second he set eyes on his friends he knew he was royally fucked.

Suzy was standing there chatting to Barry. Barry wore a nice button-up with slacks, and Suzy had on a stunning black suit fitted to perfection. They both looked great, but Dan’s eyes were zeroed in on the man standing in between them.

Arin was wearing a skirt.

Not just any skirt, but a soft pink pleated skirt that fell to mid-thigh. He wore flats on his feet and a white button-up with a matching pink tie. His hair was allowed to flow freely, and he laughed, brushing it back with one hand while holding a drink in the other.

Dan felt a little weak just looking at him.

Barry noticed him and waved him over, and Dan gulped as he approached them. Was Arin wearing makeup?

_Oh, Jesus._

“Hey, Dan!” Suzy chirped, and Arin gave him a huge smile. He had to remind himself to breathe, doing his best not to stare at Arin’s legs. “Uh. Hey, guys. Nice party, huh?”

“It’s kinda loud, but I think Ross and Holly are lurking somewhere,” Arin said, tucking hair behind his ear. Dan’s eyes followed the movement almost reflexively. “I think Mark’s here, too. Is Brian here?”

“No, I think he has to babysit tonight,” Dan joked, and smiled at the small laugh he got from his friends as he looked anywhere but at that goddamn skirt. “Uh–I think I’ll grab something to drink.”

“Me, too,” Suzy agreed. “I’ll come with.”

They left Barry and Arin chatting as they muscled their way through the crowd until they got to the bar. Dan ordered a water while Suzy got a soda.

As they waited, Dan kept seeing flashes of pink from the corner of his eye and kept resolutely staring ahead. He didn’t even notice how intent he was until Suzy nudged him.

“Something on your mind?” she asked, barely disguising the twinkling in her eyes.

Dan felt his face grow red–what could he say? _I like seeing Arin in a skirt way more than I should, but yeah, everything’s peachy._ He cringed.

“Um, yeah. It’s just noisy.” He gave a halfhearted laugh, and Suzy didn’t even bother to laugh back. She raised a perfect eyebrow at him, and Dan shuffled under her stare. He’d never been the best at lying to anyone, let alone Suzy.

“Dan, you know you can tell me anything,” she said, her voice gentler, almost…knowing. “Anything at all. I’m not gonna judge.”

Dan was spared answering as the bartender slid them their drinks, and he took a sip of water, trying to compose himself. What the fuck was up with him? He spent hours with Arin all the time. He could handle this. He’d been handling it just fine for weeks.

But Arin had never worn a skirt before.

_Goddammit._

“I’m fine, really, just a bit distracted,” he told her, managing a small but genuine smile. Her shoulders slumped, as if she were disappointed, but she patted his shoulder.

“Just checking. Come to me if you need to talk, okay?”

He felt his chest warm. She really was a blessing. “Thanks, Scuze.”

Then some friends were walking up to the pair, and he found himself talking to a multitude of friends like Mark and Jirard. He was so caught up for an hour or so that he lost Suzy in the crowd, and actually managed to forget about his pleated problem for awhile.

That is, until he felt a hand clap his shoulder as he chatted with Vernon and he turned to see Arin’s wide smile. His heart jumped in his chest, and he was rendered speechless for a moment. Luckily, Vernon greeted Arin, sparing him the embarrassment of being caught starstruck by one of his closest friends.

Arin turned to him. Dan noticed his tired eyes. “Been enjoying yourself, Dan? It’s a big shindig. I’m thinking of going home soon.”

“Ah, that’s too bad, I haven’t gotten to talk to you much,” Dan replied, slipping into his natural stride with Arin. Despite the war in his chest, it was never hard to talk to him. Their natural chemistry was enough that it wouldn’t be awkward.

Arin winked. “I bet you’re sorry. You’re missing out on this fine ass. Suzy picked the outfit, whaddaya think?” He did a twirl for good measure, lifting the skirt to dangerous levels, and Dan could hear his head short-circuiting.

He laughed to cover his embarrassment. “Shut the fuck up, man.”

Arin was laughing, but he caught the end of a pleat in between his fingers, looking down at it. In that moment, he almost seemed shy. “But for real…do you like it?”

Dan gulped, tempted to blurt out: _Yeah, a little too much._ “Yeah, dude. Y-You look great. It’s a great color on you.”

Arin’s beaming face was the best reward Dan could’ve asked for. “I think so, too! It’s a nice shade of pink. And I like the pleats. Suzy has an amazing sense of fashion, dude.”

Dan allowed his gaze to linger on the soft flush on Arin’s face. “Yeah, she sure does.”

Arin started chattering about other stuff, but Dan wasn’t listening anymore. Being in such close quarters with a man way too attractive for his own good and the source of a lot of confusion for Dan recently was doing a number on him. He needed to clear his head before he did something he regretted.

In the middle of Arin’s rant he blurted: “I uh, gotta take a shit. I’ll be right back.”

He all but fled to the back, seeking out a place to hide for a few minutes, until he got his wits around him and reminded himself no matter how nice Arin smelled or how good he looked in pink, he couldn’t just kiss him, as much as he wanted to.

And he _really_ wanted to.

He found a couch in a back room and sighed, melting into the cushions as he rubbed his temples. He felt bad about practically running away, but his consolation was there were plenty of people to hold Arin’s attention until he went back out.

Dan wasn’t sure how long he spent sitting there spacing out, but then he heard footsteps and a door slowly creaking open.

He turned, and there stood Suzy.

Her arms were crossed, but she didn’t look angry. More…amused. As if she knew something Dan didn’t. He blinked at her, and she crossed over to stand in front of him.

“Hiding, are we?”

Dan coughed, not expecting that. “What? Hiding? Me?”

“Yes, you. What’s up? Not feeling the party? Too loud?”

“Yeah, uh, the lights were too bright, and–”

“Dan.”

The no-nonsense tone of Suzy’s voice made him deflate. He hunched over, sighing, knowing the facade was up. He couldn’t hide anything from Suzy.

“So…I might be hiding from someone,” he murmured, picking at lint on the couch.

She didn’t seem surprised. “From Arin, you mean?”

Dan’s silence was answer enough.

Suzy sighed, seeming to relent, and she sat beside him, patting his knee. “He’s not mad, you know. He came to me because he’s worried. Said you looked off when he was speaking to you. So don’t worry about him. Please tell me what’s got you all worked up.”

Dan’s throat closed as weeks of wistful looks, discreet touches, and warm feelings all rushed back to him. His face colored as he thought about how to word his response.

“I…might…have a crush on your husband.” His voice was quiet.

To his surprise, Suzy threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, Dan, is that it? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. But did you honestly think I haven’t noticed?”

Dan gaped, unable to process this. “You… _knew?”_

“Well, yes. Poor Arin, he’s kind of thick-headed. But, in his defense, so are you.”

“What?”

Suzy continued as though she hadn’t heard. “Not that I blame you, mind you. He does look good in a skirt, huh?” she smirked. “Did he tell you I picked that out?”

Mute, Dan nodded.

Suddenly serious, Suzy leaned forward to give him a quick hug. “Poor Dan. Don’t worry.” She smiled. “I’m not mad. In fact, I think you need to do something about this. It won’t be good if you keep avoiding him.” Her eyes lowered. “He doesn’t like it when you avoid him.”

Dan, still trying to grasp all this, stuttered, “You want me to tell him? But–but…”

“What, you thought I’d be angry and against it?” Suzy patted his knee. “Just listen to me, Dan. What if I told you Barry and I have a thing?”

“You…and Barry…”

Suzy nodded. “Arin and I love each other. We always will. But that doesn’t mean we can’t love other people, too.” Her mouth twitched. “Just don’t worry, okay? You’re overthinking.”

Dan stared at the carpet, slowly processing this. And for the first time, a new feeling of hope sparked in his chest. “…Thanks, Scuze.”

“Anytime.” she stood. “I’m going to go tell Arin where you are. He’s worried.”

Dan listened as she left the room, steeling himself. She was right. He couldn’t avoid Arin forever, and it was better to get this out now.

After what felt like an eternity, he heard the door creak open again. He didn’t turn around, being able to picture Arin peeking into the room cautiously. “Dan?”

Soft footsteps moved to the couch, and Dan looked up at Arin, his heart beating at how cute he looked. “Hey, Arin.”

Arin sat beside him, careful to give him space, and Dan ached. “Are you okay? Suzy told me you were back here and you needed to talk to me.”

Dan shifted, opening his mouth, but no words came out. It really wasn’t all that simple, was it? After all, he had no guarantee Arin felt the same way. Just because he and Suzy had an open marriage didn’t mean he wanted to be with Dan. His throat closed.

“Dan?” Arin carefully placed a hand on his leg. “Buddy, I’m worried about you.”

Unable to help himself, he leaned forward to rest his head against Arin’s shoulder, closing his eyes and appreciating Arin’s warmth. He felt Arin’s arm move to drape around his shoulders, and he snuggled closer, closing the distance between their bodies.

They stayed like that for awhile, Dan listening to their quiet breathing and Arin’s steady heartbeat. He breathed in the slight smell of flowers and sweat, his hand brushing against Arin’s thigh as he moved closer.

Arin squeezed his shoulder lightly. “Do you need to go home?”

Dan sighed, opening his eyes and shifting to look Arin in the eyes. “No, not yet. I need to talk to you.”

Arin blinked, straightening, and Dan worried at his lower lip. “So, uh, we’ve been friends for a long time.”

Arin nodded.

“And…uh, how do I say this?” Dan paused. “I, don’t want to be friends.”

Arin drew back, and Dan yelped, reeling in his words. “No! I mean, uh, that didn’t come out right. What I mean, is, I don’t want to be _just_ friends.”

Now that the words were out, he couldn’t reclaim them. He waited, and Arin’s expression shifted from hurt to confused to wondrous. “What?”

Dan looked at a frayed end on the couch, twiddling his fingers. “Well, you’d always been so funny and kind and just…a really great person. But then I noticed other things, like how your eyes would crinkle when you smile, and how soft and beautiful your arms are, and how your laugh makes me feel really happy and warm…” Dan stuttered to a stop. He’d never exactly been the most eloquent, but when he was with Arin the sap just seemed to ooze out naturally.

He took a deep breath. “What I’m trying to say is I have a big old gay crush on you, and I’ve been kind of freaking out about it all night because of your fucking skirt, which looks amazing on you by the way, and you need to remind me to thank Suzy–”

Arin’s laugh interrupted him, and he looked up only to be met with Arin’s gleeful smile. “I guess this is sorta obvious, but I have a big old gay crush on you, too, you idiot.”

Dan blinked. “What? Really?”

Arin rolled his eyes. “Suzy was right. Guess I didn’t make it obvious enough.”

Dan couldn’t help it. He laughed, and Arin joined in. They giggled together like idiots until they were gasping for breath, falling back against the couch together.

Dan found himself lying back across Arin’s chest, and he beamed as Arin ran his fingers through his hair. “Guess we’re both dumb, huh?”

Dan nodded in agreement, allowing his red face to cool off before cheekily poking Arin’s thigh. Arin yelped. “Seriously, though. If you keep wearing these I won’t be able to concentrate.”

A gleam came to Arin’s eye, and Dan put his hand over Arin’s face. “Don’t even think about it, you dumbass!”

Arin laughed from under Dan’s hand, and they lay together for a bit, Dan relaxing under Arin’s massaging hands. He felt complete. He felt warm. He felt happy.

Eventually, though, Arin’s phone started buzzing. He checked it. “The others are looking for us. It’s time to go. C’mon, Daniel.”

Dan groaned, shifting to bury his face in Arin’s chest. “You’re comfy.”

Arin poked him. “We can cuddle all you want tomorrow, okay? But right now, we need to go. Come on, Daniel.”

With some good-natured grumbling, Dan got up and they moved to the door. At the doorway, Arin paused, and Dan looked at him.

“What’s up?”

Hesitantly, Arin turned to him, his face flushing pink to match his skirt. Dan’s heart sped up. “Um. I’m gonna try something real quick, okay?”

He was very close, and Dan breathed out: “Okay.”

Ever so softly, Arin pressed a light kiss to Dan’s mouth, and Dan felt all the air leave his lungs at the lingering feeling of warm lips against his own chapped ones. There was another sensation, too, one foreign to him. He licked his lips. “Lip gloss?”

Arin grinned and grabbed his hand as they left the room. Dan’s fingers tightened around Arin’s hand, treasuring this precious, new feeling between them as they rejoined their friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Check me out at my tumblr, writergrump!


End file.
